PM Modi unveils Sela Tunnel at 13,000 feet height in Arunachal

Itanagar: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday unveiled projects worth Rs 55,600 crore in the Northeast, including the strategic Sela tunnel which will provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

The PM unveiled the projects spread across Manipur, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura and Arunachal Pradesh at a programme in Itanagar.

The Sela tunnel, constructed at a cost of about Rs 825 crore, is an engineering marvel. It will provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang across Sela pass on the Balipara-Chariduar-Tawang Road in Arunachal Pradesh, a statement said.

The Sela Tunnel, situated at an elevation of 13,000 feet, will provide all-weather connectivity to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh. The tunnel is strategically important due to its proximity to the Line of actual control (LAC), an official said.

The tunnel, located near Sela Pass, was required as the Balipara-Charidwar-Tawang Road remains closed for a long period of the year due to snowfall and landslides caused by heavy rainfall.

The tunnel will enhance the Indian army’s capabilities at the LAC by ensuing speedy deployment of troops, weapons and machinery to the forward areas along the Sino-India border.

In 1962, Chinese troops had clashed with Indian forces in the region, and significantly, Tawang town was overrun on October 24 that year.

The project, the foundation stone of which was laid by PM Modi in February 2019.

The PM inaugurated the Sela tunnel by flagging off an Arunachal Pradesh State Transport bus that went through it.

The project comprises two tunnels, with the first being a single-tube tunnel of 980 metres in length, and the second being 1.5-km-long with an escape tube for emergencies.

The Sela tunnel has been constructed with the New Austrian Tunneling Method (NATM) and the final breakthrough in tunnel 1 was recorded on January 22.

The BRO has also constructed the now operational Nechiphu tunnel in West Kameng district of the state at an altitude of 1,630 metres. It was inaugurated by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in September last year.

This double-lane 500-metre long-tube tunnel is located in an area where traffic used to be severely affected due to dense fog but after becoming operational, it has not only reduced travelling time but also provides a safe route to travellers, including defence personnel, Singh said.

In all, the PM unveiled development projects worth more than 41,000 crore in Arunachal Pradesh.

He laid the foundation stone of the Dibang Multipurpose Hydropower Project in the Lower Dibang Valley district, which will be built at a cost of Rs 31,875 crore. It will be the highest dam structure in the country.

He also laid the foundation stones for several roads, environment and tourism projects and the upgradation of schools.

He inaugurated about 1,100 projects of Jal Jeevan Mission in the state, and 170 telecom towers under the Universal Service Obligation Fund (USOF) benefiting more than 300 villages, among others.

The PM also handed over more than 35,000 houses constructed at a cost of Rs 450 crores under Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana.

Modi unveiled projects worth more than Rs 3,400 crore in Manipur.

The projects whose foundation stones were laid include the Unity Mall at Nilakuthi, the processing zone of Manipur IT SEZ at Mantripukhri, a 60-bed hospital in Lampjhelpat for providing specialised psychiatric care, and the development of infrastructure for Manipur Technical University in Imphal West district.

The PM also inaugurated various road projects and water supply schemes in Manipur, among other projects.

He unveiled development projects worth more than Rs 1,700 crore in Nagaland.

Among the projects for which he laid the foundation stone are the Unity Mall in Chumoukedima district and the upgradation of the 132 kv sub-station at Nagarjan in Dimapur.

The PM also inaugurated several road projects in the state, including the upgraded road from Chendang Saddle to Noklak and the Kohima-Jessami Road.

The PM unveiled projects worth more than Rs 290 crore in Meghalaya. The projects for which foundation stone were laid were the IT Park at Tura, a new four-lane road and the conversion of an existing two-lane road into a four-lane road at the New Shillong Township.

He also inaugurated the Farmers Hostel-cum-Training Centre in Upper Shillong.

Modi unveiled projects worth more than Rs 450 crore in Sikkim. He laid the foundation stone for several road projects, and inaugurated a new road connecting Tharpu and Daramdin.

He inaugurated and laid the foundation stone for multiple development projects worth more than Rs 8,500 crore in Tripura.

He laid the foundation stone for multiple road projects across the state, including the Agartala Western Bypass. He also laid the foundation stone for the Indian Oil Corp's new depot at Sekerkote and Integrated Rehabilitation Centre for drug-addicted persons.

The PM inaugurated various roads in the state along with a project for providing 1.46 lakh households with tap connections, besides the land port at Sabroom in South Tripura district.

Modi also launched a new industrial development scheme for the region, named UNNATI (Uttar Poorva Transformative Industrialisation).

The scheme will strengthen the industrial ecosystem in the Northeast, attract new investment, help set up new manufacturing and services units and give a boost to employment, the statement said.

The scheme, worth Rs 10,000 crore, is fully funded by the Centre and covers all eight Northeastern states. It will provide incentives for capital investment, interest subvention and a manufacturing and services linked incentive to approved units.